Ballast-car



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS P. GORDREY, OF MASSILLON, OHIO.

BALLAST-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,000, dated November 281, 1882.

Application filed August 26, 1862. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. GoRDREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Massillon,in the county of Stark and State of Ohio,

have invented icertain new and useful Improvements in Ballast-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates toimprovements in ballast-cars constructed with a hopper-like body having its sides inclined toward the center,

and with a movable bottom capable of being..-

shifted to one side for thedischarge of the cars contents upon the track; and the objects of my improvements are to... provide means for supporting the hottom-closin g plate upon wheels and operating it from the end ofthecar; and said improvement consists, also, in details of construction hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurelis a bottom view of a car constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the car, with a portion of said end removed to show the interior. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the car-body, showing the bottom-closing plate provided with wheels and supported bytransverse rods. Fig. 4. is alongitudinal vertical section of one end of the car, showing the scraper orleveler attached thereto. Fig. 5 is a side view of the handwheel, chain, and pulley used to move the bottom-closing plate of the car.

Similar letters refer to similar parts th roughout the several views.

' The upper beams, H and G, with the outer supporting-beams, A, and the inner beams, A, connected by the cross-pieces It at the ends, constitute the frame work of the car-body, formed thus with inclined sides like a hopper. The body is carried down between the wheels to increase the car capacity and facilitate its loading. TheinclinedsidesA havetheirlower edges secured to the two beams A. The space between these beams forms a discharge-opening, whichisclosed byamovable plate, B. This plate extends nearly the entire length of the beams A, and its ends rest against the guidesupports S, secured to said beams. The movable plate Bis adapted to slidehorizontally under the beams A, and is supported by truckwheels P, having their bearings attached thereto, and thesewheels can travel upon the transverse rods D, extending from one of thebeams A to the opposite beam A, and uniting them. 5 These rods also add to the strength of the carbody.

The chains F and F, attached to the opposite sides of the movable plate B, near the ends thereof, as indicated inFig.1,arealso attached to the rotary rod E, and wound'thereon in such manner that its revolution winds the chains F, while the same revolution unwinds the chains F as theypass over pulleys K, pivoted to the frame on the opposite side of the 6 plate B. A reverse rotation of the rod E produces a reverse action of the chainsF and F, thus causing the plate B to approach or recede from the operating-rod E, and therefore opening or closing the bottom of thecar between its beams A. The rotary rod or shaft E extends the whole length of the car, and is retained in bearings r, secured to the transverse end beams, R. It is revolved by means of the sprocketed pulley I, secured upon its end, which is turned by the drive-chain L, the ends of which are attached to the vertical rotary rod M, so that its revolution by means of the hand-wheel N causes the chain L to wind on the rod M above the sprocket-pulleyI and unwind below it. A reverse movement of the hand-wheel N causes a corresponding reverse action of the drive-chain L. A second pulley I is attached to the other extremity of rod E, which may also be connected with a chain to 8 another vertical rod, as M, and thus have the advantage of an operative attachment at each end of the car. Suitable gearing may also be used in place of the chain L to connect the rods E and M. 0

A triangular metallic scraper or levelcr, W, is secured to or suspended from the cross-beams R at the rear end of the frame, so that as the car advances all the material deposited upon the track in unloading is leveled down by this 5 attachment W. This double-beveled scraper may be fastened to either end of the car, and for that purpose it is provided with hooks to, adapted to couple with eyes or with chain-links pendent from the car-frame, and may thus be 10: easily adjusted or detached when desired. The outer ends ofthe scraper may be provided with brushes w to sweep ofi' the'traclt-rails.

The operating hand wheel or wheels N, be-

load may be discharged without shifting the car.

I am aware that prior to my invention ballast-cars have been made with horizontallysliding gates in the bottom thereof. I therefore do not claim such a construction, broad] y but What I do claim isv 1. In a ballast-car, the combination of the bottom frame thereof and a series of transverse rods, D, secured thereto, with a horizontallymovable plate, B, having bearing-wheels resting upon said rods, and mechanism for fnoving said plate sidewise from either end of the car, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the frame of acar, carryingahopper-receiver,audaseries of transverse rods, D, pendent therefrom, a horizontally-movable plate, B, audits bearing-wheels I, with rod E, extending the length of the car, guide-pulleys K, chains F and F, wound upon said rod E in opposite directions, and mechanism for rotating said rod E from the end of i the car, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the frame of a ballast-car, a series of transverse rods, D, pendent therefrom, the plate B, and its bearingwheels, with rod E, extending the length of the car, chains F and F, wound upon said rod E in opposite directions, and secured on opposite sides of the plate B, pulleys K, sprocketwheel I, chain L, and rod M, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the frame of a ballast-car, having its sides inclined toward the central opening, with the scraper or leveler W, having its sides converging and united to form an acute edge over the center of the track, and its suspension-hooks 71., whereby said scraper is adapted to swing over the track, substantially as shown and described.

- THOMAS P. GORDREY. Witnesses:

ANDREW O. ROBERTSON, WHEELER A. LASSELL. 

